Großes Teufelshorn via Wasseralm

This 21.5 km (13.4 mi) round trip starts and ends at Salet and climbs to Großes Teufelshorn at 2,362 m, with 1,851 m of ascent and descent. You follow Obersee’s south shore to Fischunkelalm, climb the Röthsteig to Wasseralm, then take the marked summit path. The official return uses the Hochgschirr and Landtal side back to Obersee, so you do not retrace the whole climb. Allow about 10 hours on foot, before adding the boat ride. Only strong, fast mountain hikers should try it in a day; staying overnight at Wasseralm is the more relaxed plan.

The start is gentle, but the valley narrows after Fischunkelalm. At the fork around 940 m, turn right for Röthsteig. It climbs the steep Röthwand through exposed passages secured with cables. Röthbachfall drops in several tiers beside the route, a total of 479 m. Keep some of the wall in your photos with the falling water; a tight crop makes its scale hard to judge. Above the steep section, forested slopes open onto the gentler Röth plateau; these woods were once used for timber and alpine pasture.

Wasseralm sits around 1,416 m in a quiet basin below the twin Teufelshörner. From the hut, the marked path to Großes Teufelshorn becomes alpine again, with short, hands-on climbing sections. The summit is the high point of the Hagengebirge. Stop there and return on the mapped route; the more technical ridge traverse toward Kleines Teufelshorn is a different outing. If exposed rock and light climbing are outside your comfort zone, the hut is a sensible turnaround.

Salet has no road access: reach it by passenger boat from Königssee, and check the first and last sailings against a 10-hour walk. Wasseralm is usually staffed from late May to early October, has 64 mattress places, and is also an Enzian distillery; reserve ahead if you plan to sleep there. Dogs must be leashed in the national park, but this exposed, difficult route is not suitable for them. The boat requires a muzzle for dogs, except guide and assistance dogs.